Think back to a time when the only aviation element you would enjoy is a plane seat. When it cost too much and was only seen for the privileged. How about when the seatback TVs came about, and how advanced and space age it made our planes look. A certain type of luxury not to be afforded by the masses. Fast-forward to today and the aviation industry is massive. Not only for commercial planes taking the general public for their holidays, but also for cargo planes, using helicopters during police chases, and even the use of drones by anyone with a YouTube channel or a hobby in film making. It has advanced very quickly, and there are still more advancements afoot to look out for. We thought it would be a good time to share with you what some of the technology advancements might be.

The increase in use of drones

Gone are the days when flying a drone would be seen as a niche hobby. Now more than half of the UK population either own or have used one for all sorts of purposes, even in the commercial sector. Drones are now being out to work in all kinds of ways, such as delivering items. Perhaps in war zones or even quickly in a smaller proximities. You have drones being used by media companies for filming projects. You have specialised industries using drones to keep a foot of things like condition of land or even tracking animals in the wilde. Even the likes of a normal person, who has a YouTube channel will use a drone to film and catch candid shots of their everyday life. It’s fast becoming something that more people are being drawn to, so what next for the drone? They may now be used for humanitarian efforts or even security.

Going totally green

Imagine a plane that doesn’t require fuel. This is something that is currently being worked on and only recently have we seen reports of a test flight for a plane only using solar energy. This will eventually mean lower emissions and also lower running and operational costs. Which could see the cost of air travel being majorly reduced, not to mention the carbon footprint. This could be an exciting venture, and while the technology is there, it is likely that we won’t see this becoming a true reality for passenger airplanes for some years to come. However, it is certainly exciting technology to be part of when it doe eventually be used for the mass market.

The use of smaller aircrafts

Would you believe that more people are learning to fly. Which means that small passenger airplanes with capacity of one or two are being widely used for domestic flights all over the world. People are even considering investing in their own plane and looking into companies like Aviat to supply what they need. Owning a small aircraft opens up many opportunities for aviation flights, but it is something that will require hours of lessons and training before being able to have an aviation license.

An interactive experience in the cabin

We are all well aware of the screens we have access to during a normal flight. They will often have games or films available for viewing. While also keeping you up to date with your journey and meals etc. However, screens may become a prominent feature in air cabins in years to come as you may find that the white plastic walls we are so used to seeing, will be replaced with interactive screens. These may be for advertising campaigns, or even for the pleasure of the flying passenger to use some of them. Some aviation experts even predict that the windows may be replaced with interactive screens. Although this has not yet been confirmed. Some companies are trying to enhance the experience of being inside the cabin, and interactive screens are just some of the options that these major airlines are considering.

Convertible seating arrangements

Convertible seating may not affect the passenger as much, but this is certainly a cost efficient option that many airlines will be considering in the future. This is how a seat can be changed from an economy seat, to say a business class seat and vice versa. Enabling flight attendants to change the layout of the cabin to suit the amount of tickets that have been sold. Some routes may only require a few business class seats and more economy, whereas frequently traveled business people to other parts of the country may require more business class seating. This could also prove profitable for the airlines, as they can start to sell more seats for one plane if the demand is there for it. But one benefit to a passenger could be more seating being made available for popular routes. Meaning more flexibility of time and dates in which you will travel.

Redesigning the first class experience

We have already seen glimpses of airlines redesigning their first class cabin experience. This has been seen from the introduction of flat beds, bars you can access away from your seat, and a spa designed bathroom. However, there is only a matter of time before we see further developments in first class. There are plans on the horizon for some airlines to introduce something called first apartments, which basically means your very own bedroom, bathrooms and seating option within a cabin to yourself, or as a couple. These can be joined together like connecting rooms if you are traveling with a bigger party, but they can also very much enhance the flying experience for any first class passenger. Especially on longer journeys. Providing more options means more profit for these airlines. You may already begin to see some changes on the larger Airbus A380 planes, which were some of the first to take on this different flying experience.

I hope that this has provided you with some excitement and interest for the future of our aviation technology. There certainly seems some exciting times ahead for the use of drones and our overall flight experiences.